This specification relates to commissioning wireless networks.
Wireless networks are configured according to wireless protocols. Commissioning is the process of setting up a wireless network. In its broadest sense, commissioning covers a wide range of tasks including surveying the radio and physical environment, placement of devices, configuration of parameters, and testing and verification of correct operation. Often, non-technical and semi-technical issues need to be considered when commissioning, including the skills and workflow practices of the installer, the ease and identification and accessibility of devices, the naming conventions of the users, and the interoperability and co-existence with other wireless or wired systems.
Commissioning tools are designed to facilitate commissioning of wireless networks for installers. The commissioning tools typically run on a laptop or handheld device, and provide visualization of the network and devices, and provide options to configure, commission and manage the wireless system.
Commissioning tools typically include a variety of features and functions. The exact requirements for a particular commissioning tool will vary depending on the type of device and application being commissioned, the environment into which it is being deployed, and the wireless protocol standard(s) being used. For example, a commissioning tool typically includes an easy to use interface that hides the complexity of the underlying technology. The commissioning tool may also facilitate start-up commissioning and membership commissioning. Start-up commissioning is used to configure devices with the settings required to join (or start) their intended network, and membership commissioning is used to control which devices are permitted to join a specific network.
As the number of controlled circuits in a building increases, so does the complexity of the commissioning process, as each of the wireless devices need to be commissioned onto a wireless network and assigned to the appropriate controllable zone for control. FIG. 1A is a block diagram 80 illustrating network controlled circuits arranged by zones and network segments 82, 84 and 86 according to a floor plan. The diagram 80 illustrates three wireless network segments (i.e., three independent wireless networks that are intended to be operated as part of the overall system). Devices that are on different wireless network segments cannot communicate to each other wirelessly, except by means of a gateway.
The segments each include wireless devices configured according to multiple zones, the latter of which are logical groupings of wireless devices that facilitate control of the devices as a single entity. For example, a group of devices can be associated with a group address that is unique to a particular zone. The zone can also be configured according to other schemes, e.g., bindings, address masks, etc. The example zones including pairings of a single wireless switch or sensor to a single wireless lighting device or plug control (e.g., zone 92), groupings of wireless switches and/or sensors with wireless lighting controls and plug controls (e.g., zones 94, 96 and 98). The task of ensuring that wireless devices are on the correct wireless network segment and ensuring that device zones are properly assigned, even for a relatively modest number of adapters and switches, can become complex and labor intensive. Manual methods of sequentially identifying each device, and then assigning them to a zone, exist but are extremely time consuming and labor intensive.